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GURPS Technomancer
.]] 'GURPS Technomancer' is a 3rd Edition worldbook written by David L. Pulver in 1998 for GURPS. Changes for 4e Pyramid #3/115: Technomancer provides information to help bring Merlin-1 into the 4e. Magery 0 Magery 0 didn't officially exist in 3e so statements like "only about one person in 10,000 had magery, but as many as one in 100 people born in Trinity's Shadow would be mages" were based around Magery 0 not existing and have to be adjusted accordingly. For example, the statement "Beyond Trinity's Shadow, one in 1,000 people has Magery 1, one in 10,000 has Magery 2, and one in 100,000 has Magery 3." (sidebar pg 70) implies that at least one in 100 people have Magery 0. Magic changes On page 77's sidebar it is stated that Voodoo's Ritual Magic doesn't exist on Merlin-1. The problem is not only is the later ''Spirits version of Ritual Magic substantially different from Voodoo's but both are different from Ritual Magic in 4e. Voodoo used Initiation, Spirits used Ritual Adept to reduce components, and neither used Magery or mana. GURPS 4e split aspects of Voodoo's magic system: Power Investiture took the idea of eliminating mana (but replaced it with Sanctity) while Magery (Ritual) took the path mechanics but retained the mana requirement. In short they are different enough that saying Initiation Ritual Magic doesn't exist on Merlin-1 is NOT the same as saying Ritual Adept and Magery (Ritual Magic) don't exist on Merlin-1. In fact, on page 14, GURPS Technomancer expressly states "Some spells predated the Hellstorm: prayers, the oral rituals of shamanism and Voudoun, formulae from old grimoires and Books of Shadows, etc. Many were useless, but a few worked as is, and more were modified into working order. Old Tradspells often invoked the power of ancestors, spirits, saints, angels, demons or divinity." (pg 14) More over the Wildcard skill College! does exist on Merlin though it involves Unusual Background, Wildcard5 points to access a single College! skill, 10 points to access two to four related colleges. Given Voodoo/''Spirits'' magic didn't use mana or magery and had numerous similarities it seems to have been a specialized form of Clerical magic. More over there are many similarities between College! and 4e Ritual Magic indicating that form of magic does exist on Merlin-1. In fact, as GURPS Thaumatology explains on page 121 under Paths and Books "Traditional magic little resembles “adventuring magic” that rains down destruction at the snap of a finger. Most of it involves lengthy rituals and ceremonies – often effective over considerable distances – that give subtle results. Such magic is highly atmospheric, good for a less- flashy game . . . and still extremely powerful, when worked intelligently." Basically this is saying that if traditional magic did work it would be by its very nature handled by the Paths and Books method rather than the "normal" magery system. Rune magic (Symbol Magic in 4e) doesn't exist on Merlin-1. Setting peculiarities GURPS Technomancer has some interesting aspects that produce some profound changes....and other that have really silly/illogical aspects. *Japan surrendering on August 14, 1945 as in OTL :*With the atomic bomb not working as intended, the USSR seemingly stringing along Japan, and a bunch of Japanese hardliners who wanted to fight until the last person how does this happen? * The detonation of the Russian Atomic bomb in Antartica :* Before the Antarctic Treaty (1959) the only nations that had claims (which went from the edge of the continent to the pole) were down there were Argentina (1942), Australia (1933), Chile (1940), New Zealand (1924), Norway (1939), and United Kingdom (1908). So for the USSR to detonate an atomic bomb anywhere in Antarctica they would effectively be bombing another nation's territory--an ACT OF WAR. Worse the region expressly stated in Technomancer where the Soviet bomb was detonated "between Enderby and Queen Maud Land" belongs to Norway, Chile, Argentina, Australia, and United Kingdom. Great, an act of war again against five countries at once--an act of total brilliance. (sarcasm level at 11 here) :*Given what we know about Stalin it makes no sense for him to explode an atom bomb that would seem to generate an 'magic field' in Antartica. :*The Killer Penguins. If the USSR detonating an atomic bomb in Antartica is illogical the Killer Penguins are just silly. To quote Wally West regarding fighting Killer Penguins: "..what has to be the STUPIDEST case in the history of superheroes" (Justice League International Annual #4 (1990) Page 52 panel 4). * A thousand butterflies ** The Conqueror (1956) demon attack has two major issues: *** First thanks to the mana storms of 1945 and 1949 there would be no atom bomb testing either above or below ground so there could not be a "Nevada Test Site". *** Second the lost of so many actors, extras, and producers would have a profound effect on the movie industry. Not only would movies such as Valley of the Dolls (1967), Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), and The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) have different casts (assuming they existed at all) but some films and even TV shows would never be made because key directors and producers died in 1956. For example, Norman S. Powell was an (an uncredited Mongel guard. Without Powell there is no "Johnny Ringo" (1959) TV Series, The Big Valley series never is made, as is the 1985 revival of "The Twilight Zone". ** The effect spells like Truthsayer and Detect Lie will have had on 'landmark' cases like the Dr. Shepard case is profound. In that case the man was tried in the court of public opinion and his appeal some 10 years later result in the 'supposed' and 'alleged' you see in today's newpapers. Those spells would have short circuited the whole media circus and forced the judge to give a directed verdict of innocence (DNA evidence haa indicated that yes there was a third person in the house as Sherpard claim all those years ago.) Similar miscarriages of justice which took a while to clean up would have never happened in the first place and the resulting changes in the law if they got the Supreme Court would have similarly never happened. Spells Many of the new spells published in this book were reprinted in 4th Edition GURPS Magic and GURPS Bio-Tech with the following exceptions: Air Spells * Purify Signal/TL (Regular) * Static Charge (Regular) * Ether Static/TL (Area) * Seek Emitter/TL (Information) Body Control Spells * Partial Mechamorphosis/TL(VH) (Regular) Communication and Empathy Spells * Delete Commercials/TL (Regular) * Seek Number/TL (Information) * Borrow Number/TL (Regular) * Wrong Number/TL (Regular) * Identify Caller/TL (Information) * Magical Switchboard/TL (Regular) * Speed Data/TL (Regular) * Broadcast Spell/TL (VH) (Regular) Enchantment Spells * Spellprocessor/TL (Enchantment) * Curse Virus/TL (Enchantment) * Video Entity/TL (Enchantment) * Electric Power/TL (Enchantment) * Soulburner Gestalt (VH) (Enchantment) Weapon Enchantments * Mana Warhead/TL (Enchantment) * Spell Targeting/TL (VH) (Enchantment) Fire Spells * High-Explosive Fireball (Missile) * Shape-Charge Fireball (Missile) * Detonate (Regular) * Mass Detonate (Area) Food Spells * Guns to Butter (Regular) Knowledge Spells * Necrovision™ (Regular) * Divinations ** Cybermancy ** Plutomancy ** Quantumancy * Televisomancy (Information) Light and Darkness Spells * Infrared Flash (Regular) * Coherent Light Jet (Regular) * Disruption Bolt (Missile) * Invisible Sunbolt (Missile) Making and Breaking Spells * Immediate Action (Blocking) Mind Control Spells * Game Addict (Regular) Movement Spells * Homing Missile (Special) * Hail of Lead (Regular) * Reduce Recoil (Regular) * Magic Bullet (Regular) * Steady Hand (Regular) Protection and Warning Spells * Blind Sensor (Regular) * Spoof Sensor (Regular) * Prismatic Mist (Area) Sound Spells * Volume Control/TL (Regular) Technological Spells Energy Spells * Water to Fuel/TL (Regular) * Hotshot/TL (Regular) * Purify Power (Regular) Machine Spells * Program/TL (Regular) * Guide Missle/TL (Regular) * Confound Firearm/TL (Regular) * Upgrade Computer/TL (Regular) * Animate Machine/TL (VH) (Regular) * Mad Machine/TL (Regular) Metal and Plastic Spells * Seek Metal (Information) Radiation Spells * Particle Beam (VH) (Missile) Water Spells * Elemental Plumbing (Regular) Notes GURPS Technomancer has some issues: Political-scientific arena 1) Ok the atomic bomb is a bust. How the blazes do you get the Japanese to surrener on the date they did in OTL when even after nuking two cities and the Russians declaring war Tojo and his bunch of fantatical nutbars were going to go down fighting to the point of trying to break into the radio station to stop the surrender speech 2) It is hard to see Joseph Mccarthy going on his Anticommunist witchhunt with all the problems of the Hellstorms around. 3) one of the reasons that Oppenheimer was relegated to the fringes of the military establishment was his argument against the Hydrogen bomb (he and his allies called it MegaDeath); the Hellstorms of 45 and 49 would have prevented Oppenheimer from being pushed out of the decision process as he was in our history. With Oppenheimer even something as simply as atomic reactor development would have gone a different path. 4) Why in the name of sanity would Stalin even mess with the atom bomb once his spy relayed it was a bust? Better yet why would he set it off "between Enderby and Queen Maud Land" which was claimed by Norway, Chile, Argentina, Australia, and United Kingdom. That would have been an act of war again five countries at once; Stalin may have been sociopathic but he wasn't stupid. As far as the resulting Killer Penguins - Wally West said it best in Justice League International Annual #4 (1990) Page 52 panel 4 "..what has to be the stupidest case in the history of superheroes". It was a really silly idea in 1990 when the Annual came out and was even dumber when Technomancer came out in 1998. Social factors 1) GURPS 2e Magic was very clear on this: "In order to create a magical item, the caster (and any assistants) must know the Enchant spell _and_ the spell to be put into the item." (M2e 27) Then GURPS Technomancer expressly states "All mages on the line are "assistants"; as usual, the require skill 15+ in the Enchant spell and the spell being enchanted" (Technomancer 41) The inherant illogic of having Magery 2 common enough that they could be worked as blue color workers seemed to have not occurred to whoever playtested this thing. 2) How on earth can Louisiana have undead chain gangs given _I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang_ (1932) and book it was based on _I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang_. It took nearly 30 years after that fiasco before the southern states even tried chain gangs again. And the Antiquities Act of 1906 and rulings following is would have made having a zombie chain gang an cheque blance on any relative who wanted to sue the state in question. This is all ignoring the huge potential disease vector a decaying body is. 3) The Legal problem of having a MR person testify in court. Since any Resisting of Compel Truth in court is illegalpg 100 and 'normal' MR cannot be turned off any MR person called into to court would be forced to break the law. This is entrapment and a violation of the persons' 5th amendment rights. Random social 1) Does it make sence for demons to 'appear' in the Nevada Test Site when in the Technomancer Timeline there is no such place? 2) Does killing off the acting cast of The Conqueror (1956) mean that the movie industury on Merlin is going to go a different path? You bet your sweet projector it does. Valley of the Dolls (1967), Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), and The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) all had actors who originally starred in The Conqueror in supporting roles. Then you have people like Norman S. Powell (an uncredited mongel guard) who becamse directors and producers in their own right. Without Powell there is no "Johnny Ringo" (1959) TV Series, The Big Valley series never is made, nor is the 1985 revival of "The Twilight Zone". While some people may blow this off it does demonstrate the 'domino effect' of what changing one trivial event can result in. 3) The effect spells like Truthsayer and Detect Lie would have had on 'landmark' cases like the Dr. Shepard case. In that case the man was tried in the court of public opinion and his appeal some 10 years later result in the 'supposed' and 'alleged' you see in today's newspapers. Those spells would have short circuited the whole media circus and forced the judge to give a directed verdict of innocence (DNA evidence has indicated that yes there was a third person in the house as Sherpard claim all those years ago.) Similar miscarriages of justice which took a while to clean up would have never happened in the first place and the resulting changes in the law if they got the Supreme Court would have similarly never happened. *To quote Wally West regarding fighting Killer Penguins: "..what has to be the STUPIDEST case in the history of superheroes" (Justice League International Annual #4 (1990) Page 52 panel 4) and it wasn't any smarter in 1998 when Technomancer came out. See Also * [http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/sample.html?id=824 Designer's Notes: GURPS Technomancer] * GURPS Infinite Worlds * GURPS Update Additional material * Additional Campaign Crossovers for GURPS Technomancer * The Coldest War: The Antarctic Rim in GURPS Technomancer * I am Iron Man: Combat Golems in GURPS Technomancer * Pyramid #3/66: The Laws of Magic – Contains updated magical mass-production rules for GURPS Fourth Edition. * Pyramid #3/115: Technomancer – Featuring new Technomancer templates and campaign ideas, a new organization, and more. * Pyramid #3/121: Travels and Tribulations – Discover "Merlin's Magnificent Menagerie," with dangerous new monsters from this setting. External Links * GURPS Technomancer: Funny New Guys Technomancer in Vietnam - on sjgames.com * Technomancer Designer's Notes - Free sample from June 1999's Pyramid. References Category:3rd Edition Category:Settings Category:Supernatural Category:Reality Classification Category:GURPS Books Category:Quantum 3